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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. plane — a tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. field — a subject
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lean — thin
  11. pit — in a race
  12. field — for sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ball — a dance
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. field — farmland
  24. lean — to bend

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