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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
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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: toast · trunk · lie · patient · date · can · wave · ground

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ground — the earth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. date — the fruit
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. can — to be able to
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. can — a tin
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. toast — bread

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