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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. field — for sport
  16. capital — a city
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. capital — money
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. field — a subject
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. capital — a big letter

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