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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: patient · trunk · nail · rule · can · game · foot · toast

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. can — to be able to
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rule — a law
  6. game — wild animals
  7. toast — bread
  8. can — a tin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. game — a match
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. foot — a measure
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. rule — government

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