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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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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. field — for sport
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. field — farmland
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. charge — electricity
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. charge — in control
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. charge — a price
  17. field — a subject
  18. track — to keep track

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