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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. field — farmland
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wind — moving air
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. field — for sport
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wind — moving air
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bore — to tire
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rash — hasty
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rash — a series
  17. fine — all right
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. field — a subject
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bore — to drill
  24. safe — out of danger

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