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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. file — a line of people
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rest — a break
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. field — a subject
  11. file — a document
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rest — what's left
  14. can — to be able to
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bear — the animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — for sport
  22. file — a tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bear — to put up with

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