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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. charge — a price
  3. object — an aim
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. object — to protest
  8. charge — in control
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. field — a subject
  11. spell — a short time
  12. charge — electricity
  13. field — for sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. object — a thing
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. spell — magic
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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