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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. field — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. field — farmland
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. track — a song
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. leaves — lets stay

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