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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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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. saw — the tool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stand — to bear
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. field — a subject
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. field — farmland
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wind — moving air
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bank — for money
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. field — for sport
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cell — in a prison

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