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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.

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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: patient · rock · lie · current · trunk · rush · bark · saw

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — happening now
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. current — electric
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. current — of water
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lie — to recline
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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