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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: trunk · patient · cap · staff · cabinet · row · file · arm

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. file — a tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. file — a document
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. staff — employees
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cap — a lid
  19. file — a line of people
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. staff — a stick

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