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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.

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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: wave · stem · firm · patient · bat · drill · rock · trunk

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. firm — steady
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — music

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