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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. field — for sport
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spring — a coil
  5. key — in music
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spring — of water
  9. key — for a lock
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. field — farmland
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. field — a subject
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. spring — the season
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wound — an injury

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