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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rash — a series
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. field — a subject
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. field — for sport
  18. pass — to succeed

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