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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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 car
  3. rule — government
  4. suit — to fit
  5. current — electric
  6. rule — a law
  7. current — happening now
  8. last — finally
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. suit — clothes
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. last — to go on
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. suit — in cards
  20. current — of water
  21. last — final
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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