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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. bear — the animal
  4. field — for sport
  5. current — of water
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — electric
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rash — hasty
  22. current — happening now
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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