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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 120 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: pass · coach · patient · nail · trunk · bark · file · prune

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. file — a document
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pass — a permit
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. file — a tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bark — to shout
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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