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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: club · trunk · rule · patient · tear · bowl · bore · season

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tear — from crying
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. season — of the year
  7. tear — to rip
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. club — for dancing
  10. season — in sport
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rule — government
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. club — a group
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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