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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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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: patient · cap · lash · trunk · rock · stick · bank · drill

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bank — for money
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. cap — a lid
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. drill — army training
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rock — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — of ice
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cap — a hat

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