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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: trunk · wind · bore · patient · stick · cell

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cell — in biology
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bore — to drill
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stick — to attach or keep 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