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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: track · trunk · staff · key · rash · calf · present · bear

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. staff — employees
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rash — a series
  8. track — a path
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — the time now
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. key — the most important part
  13. track — a song
  14. key — for a lock
  15. staff — a stick
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. key — in music
  24. rash — hasty

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