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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. row — to paddle
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lie — to recline
  7. row — a line
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. field — for sport
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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