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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. field — a subject
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. suit — to fit
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pound — a weight
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. suit — in cards
  14. field — for sport
  15. suit — clothes
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. face — to point toward
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. file — a document
  22. face — to confront
  23. field — farmland
  24. lean — thin

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