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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: cabinet · field · sharp · rush · trunk · bay · leaves · bank

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. field — for sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. leaves — of a tree

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