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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: fan · file · trunk · coach · patient · bound · drill · bay

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. file — a document
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. drill — a practice
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. file — a tool
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — certain
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bound — obliged
  24. file — a line of people

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