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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: craft · trunk · track · band · foot · patient · press · hide

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. track — to keep track
  8. craft — a skill
  9. track — a song
  10. foot — a measure
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. band — a ring
  14. press — to push
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — a publisher
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. band — a music group
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. track — a path
  24. press — newspapers

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