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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fall — the season
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cap — a hat
  8. field — for sport
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. field — a subject
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rash — a series
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fall — to drop
  24. nail — for a hammer

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