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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.

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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: track · scale · present · calf · patient · trunk · cabinet · press

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. press — to push
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. track — a path
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. track — to keep track
  11. scale — in music
  12. press — newspapers
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. scale — size or range
  20. track — a song
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — a gift
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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