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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 120 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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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: trunk · track · fine · calf · tear · last · patient · race

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. last — final
  3. race — humankind
  4. tear — from crying
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. last — finally
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. race — a contest
  9. track — a path
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tear — from crying
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. race — the arms race
  15. last — to go on
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a song
  19. fine — all right
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fine — high quality
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tear — to rip

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