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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. snap — to click
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lean — thin
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. field — for sport
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. foot — a measure
  23. field — a subject
  24. foot — 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