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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. present — a gift
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. last — final
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. last — finally
  10. present — there
  11. last — to go on
  12. field — farmland
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. suit — to fit
  15. present — the time now
  16. suit — in cards
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. field — a subject
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. suit — clothes

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