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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: trunk · lean · leaves · scale · field · bay · hide · last

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. last — finally
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. last — final
  6. field — for sport
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lean — to bend
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. field — farmland
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. scale — in music
  20. last — to go on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. field — a subject
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. hide — to keep secret

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