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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 120 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 · arm · band · cue · mate · pit · wake · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. track — a path
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. band — a music group
  6. pit — a hole
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. track — a song
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mate — a partner
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pit — in a race
  20. band — a ring
  21. cue — for pool
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mate — to breed

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