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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 120 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. field — for sport
  9. rush — hurry
  10. field — farmland
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — to bear

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