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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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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: kick · plane · trunk · patient · snap · pitcher · can · tear

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. plane — a tool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — in football
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. snap — to click
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. can — to be able to

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