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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. field — for sport
  9. object — an aim
  10. field — farmland
  11. spell — a short time
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. saw — the tool
  14. object — a thing
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spell — magic
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. object — to protest
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spell — letters
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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