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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: date · track · trunk · leaves · straw · field · wax · suit

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. field — for sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. track — a path
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wax — to grow
  16. track — a song
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. suit — to fit
  24. straw — dry grass

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