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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. field — a subject
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fine — high quality
  10. field — farmland
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fine — all right
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mark — a trace
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. field — for sport
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. lash — to lash out

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