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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: ruler · patient · spring · swing · rush · chair · trunk · fork

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. swing — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chair — a leader
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fork — in a road
  8. swing — to play on
  9. spring — of water
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. spring — the season
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. swing — in golf
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. spring — a coil

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