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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.

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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: scale · press · cue · trunk · nail · track · staff · chest

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. staff — employees
  3. cue — a signal
  4. staff — employees
  5. track — a path
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chest — of your body
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chest — a box
  15. staff — a stick
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. scale — in music
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cue — a hint
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. scale — size or range

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