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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. track — a path
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. content — the amount
  7. field — farmland
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. track — to keep track
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. field — for sport
  16. suit — in cards
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. suit — clothes
  19. track — a song
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. suit — to fit
  22. content — happy
  23. field — a subject
  24. content — videos and posts

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