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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · pound · trunk · field · cabinet · wax · bark · fan

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wax — to grow
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pound — a weight
  14. field — farmland
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. field — for sport
  24. wax — for sculpting

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