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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. spring — of water
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. saw — the tool
  10. field — farmland
  11. branch — a division
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — for sport
  18. can — to be able to
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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