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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 116 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. staff — a stick
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — farmland
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. staff — employees
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — a subject
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. staff — employees
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. saw — the tool
  20. field — for sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. prune — to trim
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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