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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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. field — for sport
  6. bore — to tire
  7. saw — the tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. field — farmland
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. field — a subject
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. safe — out of danger

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