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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. can — a tin
  6. field — a subject
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. can — to be able to
  12. row — a line
  13. field — farmland
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stem — to come from
  18. field — for sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. foot — a measure
  24. lash — an eyelash

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