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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: deal · mate · trunk · lean · cap · stick · track · patient

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cap — of ice
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. track — a path
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. track — a song
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. patient — a sick person

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