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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: lean · tube · swing · nail · bat · patient · trunk · pop

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. swing — in golf
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lean — thin
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lean — to bend
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pop — music
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. tube — a container
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pop — to visit
  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