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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.

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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: mark · lash · leaves · fall · saw · tube · field · land

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mark — a trace
  3. field — farmland
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tube — a container
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. land — a country
  11. fall — the season
  12. land — ground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. land — to come down
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. field — a subject
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. tube — the underground
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. lash — an eyelash

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