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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
468
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: safe · kick · field · trunk · mark · mate · toast · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mark — a grade
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. field — a subject
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mark — a trace
  10. toast — bread
  11. mate — a partner
  12. field — farmland
  13. mate — a friend
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. field — for sport
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. kick — in football

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