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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. drill — army training
  3. last — to go on
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. field — farmland
  10. rock — a stone
  11. last — finally
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. field — for sport
  14. rock — music
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pop — music
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pop — soda
  19. last — final
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pop — to visit
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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