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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
468
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: calf · patient · temple · track · trunk · cap · drill · row

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. track — to keep track
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. drill — a practice
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. row — a line
  9. track — a path
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cap — a hat
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cap — of ice
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. drill — army training
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. track — a song
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cap — a lid

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