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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: snap · mine · trunk · tube · game · wave · patient · mate

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tube — a container
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. tube — the underground
  14. game — a match
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mine — for digging
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. snap — to click
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. game — a kind of play

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