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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. march — music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. field — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. file — a line of people
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stand — to bear
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. drill — army training
  17. march — the month
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. drill — a practice
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. march — the month
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. drill — the tool

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