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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: bore · hide · row · stick · degree · trunk · club · patient

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bore — to tire
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. row — a line
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. club — for golf
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — a group
  24. bore — to drill

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