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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. fine — a penalty
  3. spring — of water
  4. bear — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wake — a trail
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fine — high quality
  12. field — a subject
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. field — for sport
  18. spring — a coil
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — all right
  22. spring — the season
  23. bear — to put up with
  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