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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mark — a trace
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. field — farmland
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. field — for sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. field — a subject
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mark — a grade
  20. season — in sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. squash — to crush

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