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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. field — farmland
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. band — a ring
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. capital — a city
  11. field — for sport
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. capital — money
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rush — hurry
  20. band — a music group
  21. lean — thin
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. field — a subject

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