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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 124 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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Word bank
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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: pop · calf · patient · wound · pass · race · trunk · racket

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. race — a contest
  11. wound — an injury
  12. race — the arms race
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pop — to visit
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pop — music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. race — humankind
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pop — soda
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wound — an injury

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