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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: prune · patient · staff · trunk · bore · stick · lash · arm

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. staff — employees
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. staff — a stick
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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