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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 116 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
468
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: file · patient · saw · chair · object · fork · track · trunk

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. saw — the tool
  5. object — to protest
  6. fork — in a road
  7. chair — a leader
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. track — a path
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. file — a document
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. object — a thing
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. patient — a sick person

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