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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. prune — to trim
  4. field — a subject
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. prune — to trim
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. object — a thing
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. field — farmland
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. field — for sport
  18. file — a tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rock — music
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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