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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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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: bore · patient · file · wave · stand · trunk · arm · degree

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bore — to tire
  7. file — a tool
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. file — a document
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stand — to bear
  24. arm — part of the body

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