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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stem — to come from
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. field — for sport
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. suit — in cards
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. field — farmland
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wake — a trail
  24. suit — to fit

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