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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. field — farmland
  18. degree — an amount
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fork — in a road
  24. suit — in cards

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