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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. row — a line
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. row — to paddle
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. field — a subject
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chest — a box
  9. land — ground
  10. chest — of your body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. field — for sport
  14. chest — of your body
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. field — farmland
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bank — for money
  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