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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · calf · bay · trunk · chest · nail · wake · land

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. chest — a box
  12. track — a song
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. track — a path
  22. chest — of your body
  23. land — to come down
  24. calf — a young animal

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