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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 116 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. firm — a company
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. land — ground
  7. fork — in a road
  8. field — for sport
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bore — to tire
  11. firm — steady
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. land — to come down
  16. firm — decided
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — hurry
  19. land — a country
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. field — farmland
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lash — to lash out

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