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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: wake · patient · bore · fine · trunk · bear · cell · key

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cell — a phone
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. key — in music
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fine — all right
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wake — a trail
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bore — to drill

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