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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bear — the animal
  4. field — for sport
  5. lean — thin
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. field — farmland
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rock — music

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