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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. roll — a list
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. field — for sport
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. field — a subject
  12. kick — in football
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. field — farmland

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