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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · roll · patient · shower · prune · safe · mine · stick

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mine — for digging
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. roll — a cake
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. prune — to trim
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. shower — rain
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. roll — a list
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. shower — to wash

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