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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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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 · trunk · patient · fork · rest · row · deal · pass

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rest — a break
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rest — what's left
  10. row — a line
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pass — a permit
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — in a road
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pass — to spend time

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