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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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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: row · toast · patient · trunk · object · ball · cell · wake

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cell — a phone
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. object — an aim
  12. row — a line
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. toast — bread
  15. object — to protest
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cell — in biology
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. object — a thing
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. row — to paddle

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