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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: stem · arm · patient · drill · squash · bound · rest · trunk

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. squash — the sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — certain
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rest — a break
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bound — obliged
  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