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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. field — farmland
  5. sharp — clever
  6. field — a subject
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. board — to get on
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. deal — to handle
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. field — for sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. board — a committee
  24. trunk — of a car

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