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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: arm · field · ground · fine · rash · tube · trunk · lean

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. field — a subject
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rash — a series
  7. lean — thin
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rash — hasty
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. ground — crushed
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fine — all right
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. tube — the underground
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. tube — a container
  24. lean — to bend

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