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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. field — a subject
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lie — to recline
  12. track — a song
  13. field — for sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. track — a path
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. field — farmland
  18. fan — to cool the air

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