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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 116 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: last · hand · bound · trunk · fan · object · field · prune

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. field — for sport
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. field — a subject
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bound — obliged
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. field — farmland
  10. hand — help
  11. bound — certain
  12. object — an aim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. object — to protest
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — to go on
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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