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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: mark · date · tear · present · track · patient · trunk · band

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. tear — to rip
  4. track — a path
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. track — to keep track
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mark — a trace
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. band — a ring
  12. mark — a grade
  13. present — there
  14. track — a song
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. band — a music group
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. present — a gift
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tear — from crying
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. band — a rubber band

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