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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. sharp — clever
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. current — happening now
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. nail — for a hammer

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