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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fork — in a road
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fine — high quality
  5. field — farmland
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. field — a subject
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rash — hasty
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rash — a series
  20. ball — a dance
  21. field — for sport
  22. fine — all right
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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