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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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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: tear · trunk · squash · temple · mouse · coach · field · toast

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. squash — the sport
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. tear — from crying
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tear — from crying
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. field — for sport
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. squash — to crush
  24. tear — to rip

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