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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. key — the most important part
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cap — a lid
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. field — farmland
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bank — of a river
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. field — for sport
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. suit — in cards
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bank — for money

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