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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: ground · bound · cue · arm · trunk · lean · field · plane

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. lean — to bend
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. field — a subject
  10. bound — certain
  11. plane — a tool
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bound — tied together
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cue — for pool
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. field — for sport
  21. lean — thin
  22. cue — a hint
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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