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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rest — what's left
  4. suit — clothes
  5. shower — rain
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. suit — to fit
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rest — a break
  20. fork — in a road
  21. field — for sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. field — farmland
  24. lie — to recline

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