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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · kick · leaves · trunk · staff · bay · patient · hand

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. staff — employees
  6. kick — in football
  7. hand — in cards
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. staff — employees
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. staff — a stick
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. hand — help
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tear — from crying
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. tear — to rip

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com