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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: trunk · cabinet · fan · patient · arm · game · track · cue

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. track — a path
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. track — a song
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cue — for pool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. game — a match
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. track — to keep track
  22. game — wild animals
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fan — a supporter

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