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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rush — hurry
  4. field — farmland
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. field — for sport
  7. bore — to tire
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. lean — thin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. last — final
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pit — a hole
  24. field — a subject

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