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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. charge — a price
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fork — in a road
  8. charge — electricity
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. field — farmland
  19. saw — the tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. field — for sport
  24. charge — in control

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