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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. charge — in control
  3. foot — a measure
  4. kid — to tease
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. field — a subject
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. field — for sport
  9. kid — child
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pass — a permit
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. charge — a price
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. field — farmland
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. charge — electricity
  24. straw — a straw man

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