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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fall — the season
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. suit — to fit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wind — moving air
  17. field — farmland
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. field — for sport
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bear — the animal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. fall — to drop

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