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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. field — for sport
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lean — to bend
  11. foot — a measure
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wax — to grow
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. calf — of the leg

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