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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: file · chest · spell · row · trunk · patient · craft · temple

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. row — a line
  3. chest — a box
  4. file — a tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. craft — boats
  8. file — a line of people
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chest — of your body
  13. row — to paddle
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. spell — magic
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. file — a document
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. craft — a skill
  22. chest — of your body
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. temple — a place of worship

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