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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: race · key · cell · craft · press · patient · trunk · staff

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. staff — employees
  5. craft — boats
  6. cell — a phone
  7. press — a publisher
  8. staff — a stick
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. race — humankind
  12. cell — in biology
  13. press — to push
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. key — for a lock
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. staff — employees
  22. race — the arms race
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. race — a contest

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