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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. field — a subject
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. drill — the tool
  6. snap — to click
  7. field — farmland
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. field — for sport
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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