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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mate — a friend
  3. field — a subject
  4. bank — for money
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rash — a series
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. field — farmland
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. root — of a word
  20. bank — for money
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. field — for sport

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