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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: nail · toast · rule · patient · trunk · track · date · hide

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. track — a song
  3. toast — bread
  4. date — the fruit
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. track — a path
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rule — government
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. track — to keep track
  24. trunk — of a tree

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