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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. field — for sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lie — to recline
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stem — to come from
  15. degree — an amount
  16. field — a subject
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. field — farmland
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. degree — temperature
  24. coach — a trainer

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