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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. land — to come down
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. field — farmland
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. land — a country
  11. object — to protest
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. object — a thing
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. land — ground
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. object — an aim
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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