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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: kid · fine · wake · cabinet · bowl · sharp · field · trunk

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. field — farmland
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kid — child
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fine — all right
  20. sharp — clever
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wake — before a funeral

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