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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
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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: trunk · band · stick · patient · pop · cue · rock · clip

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. clip — for paper
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. band — a music group
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rock — music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cue — for pool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — a video
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. band — a ring
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. patient — a sick person

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