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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. chest — of your body
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chest — of your body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. field — farmland
  10. chest — a box
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lie — to recline
  13. kick — in football
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. field — for sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. saw — the tool

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