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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: band · court · cue · track · lash · press · date · trunk

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. press — to push
  5. cue — a hint
  6. court — of a king
  7. cue — a signal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. press — a publisher
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. track — a path
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cue — for pool
  17. track — a song
  18. band — a ring
  19. court — for sport
  20. track — to keep track
  21. court — of law
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. lash — to lash out

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