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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
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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: land · kick · trunk · squash · field · bank · toast · hide

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. field — farmland
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bank — for money
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. toast — bread
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. squash — the sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. kick — in football
  15. field — for sport
  16. land — ground
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bank — of a river
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. squash — to crush
  22. land — a country
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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