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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · patient · trunk · straw · bore · rock · board · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. board — to get on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bore — to drill
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cue — a signal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. board — a committee
  24. rock — to move gently

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