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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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. field — a subject
  3. last — finally
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. last — final
  7. branch — a division
  8. snap — to click
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fork — in a road
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. last — to go on
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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