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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: last · lie · track · trunk · patient · fine · spring · squash

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. spring — a coil
  6. track — a path
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. squash — to crush
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. squash — the sport
  12. last — finally
  13. spring — the season
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. track — a song
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fine — high quality
  22. spring — of water
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fine — all right

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