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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 120 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: row · trunk · chest · patient · pit · nail · fan · cabinet

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chest — a box
  21. pit — a hole
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pit — in a race

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