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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: file · patient · racket · trunk · roll · row · straw · stand

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. file — a document
  6. row — to paddle
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. file — a tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. roll — a list
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. roll — a cake

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