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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. field — farmland
  3. face — part of the head
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kid — child
  6. tube — a container
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. track — to keep track
  9. present — a gift
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — a path
  12. field — for sport
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. present — the time now
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. kid — to tease
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. field — a subject
  20. present — there
  21. tube — the underground
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. track — a song
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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