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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · leaves · nail · fall · trunk · foot · mine · tear

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. field — farmland
  8. tear — from crying
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. field — a subject
  14. tear — to rip
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fall — the season
  18. mine — for digging
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. field — for sport
  24. fall — to drop

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