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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. field — a subject
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. field — farmland
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rash — a series
  9. field — for sport
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — a partner
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. season — of the year
  19. clip — for paper
  20. saw — the tool
  21. clip — to cut
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rash — hasty

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