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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: row · field · cabinet · ruler · patient · trunk · bat · stem

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. field — a subject
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. field — farmland
  19. row — a line
  20. field — for sport
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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