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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: bat · foot · trunk · sharp · leaves · field · bank · mug

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bat — the animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mug — to rob
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bank — of a river
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — for sport
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bank — for money
  17. mug — a cup
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. field — farmland
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  24. trunk — of a car

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