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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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. hide — animal skin
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. key — the most important part
  14. field — for sport
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chip — for betting
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. snap — to click
  19. key — in music
  20. chip — to eat
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. key — for a lock
  24. field — farmland

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