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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. can — a tin
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. fine — all right
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — letters
  12. rash — a series
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. rash — hasty
  16. field — a subject
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chest — a box
  19. tube — the underground
  20. spell — a short time
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. chest — of your body
  24. spell — magic

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