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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: bay · field · trunk · mouse · wave · net · file · lean

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables are growing on 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. net — in sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. file — a line of people
  5. field — for sport
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lean — to bend
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. file — a tool
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. net — for catching
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — thin
  20. net — after costs
  21. file — a document
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. field — farmland
  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