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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 116 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: track · cue · fan · calf · trunk · cold · cap · rock

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. track — a path
  2. cap — a lid
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cap — a hat
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cue — for pool
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cold — an illness
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cap — of ice
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rock — music
  23. calf — a young animal
  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