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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: bay · arm · pop · trunk · stick · patient · cap · rush

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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