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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: suit · stem · clip · trunk · bass · present · nail · patient

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stem — to come from
  6. present — the time now
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. suit — to fit
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. present — a gift
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — for paper
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. present — there
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — low music
  24. clip — to cut

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