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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mug — a face
  3. field — a subject
  4. mug — a cup
  5. field — farmland
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. suit — clothes
  9. land — a country
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. land — ground
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fall — the season
  20. spell — letters
  21. band — a music group
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. field — for sport
  24. land — to come down

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