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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 116 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: trunk · field · track · ground · lean · swing · ruler · wake

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. swing — to play on
  3. track — a path
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. swing — in golf
  7. field — a subject
  8. swing — music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. field — farmland
  12. lean — thin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. lean — to bend
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. field — for sport
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. track — a song

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