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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: dip · file · prune · patient · stock · fan · wound · trunk

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. file — a line of people
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. prune — to trim
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — to sink
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. prune — to trim
  10. file — a document
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. file — a tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wound — an injury
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — goods
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wound — an injury

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