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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — a coil
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. spring — the season
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. root — the cause
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. root — of a word
  16. spring — of water
  17. field — farmland
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. field — for sport
  24. arm — part of the body

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