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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: patient · stick · dip · arm · bulb · key · trunk · stem

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — in music
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — for a lock
  24. arm — part of the body

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