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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. field — farmland
  9. land — a country
  10. field — for sport
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. craft — a skill
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. field — a subject
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. track — a path
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. lash — to lash out

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