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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: deal · field · mark · land · lash · date · rush · trunk

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. field — farmland
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. deal — to handle
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. field — for sport
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. land — ground
  24. field — a subject

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