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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. field — for sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chest — a box
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. chest — of your body
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pop — soda
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pop — music
  22. season — of the year
  23. field — a subject
  24. pop — to visit

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