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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. field — farmland
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. season — of the year
  10. field — a subject
  11. rush — hurry
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. season — in sport
  19. field — for sport
  20. squash — the sport
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. snap — to click
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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