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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 120 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: bay · trunk · wound · charge · tube · field · rest · cabinet

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wound — an injury
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. charge — a price
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. field — farmland
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rest — a break
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wound — an injury
  24. field — for sport

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