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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — in control
  5. field — farmland
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fall — to drop
  8. field — a subject
  9. spell — a short time
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. perch — the fish
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fall — the season
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — a price
  20. fall — to drop
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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