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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: leaves · calf · race · roll · cue · trunk · content · track

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. race — the arms race
  3. roll — a list
  4. cue — a hint
  5. content — the amount
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. track — a path
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. race — a contest
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cue — for pool
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. content — happy
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. track — to keep track
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. race — humankind
  24. track — a song

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