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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. last — final
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lie — to recline
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. craft — boats
  11. cue — a hint
  12. last — to go on
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. last — finally
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lie — an untruth

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