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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. field — farmland
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fall — the season
  9. field — for sport
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. branch — a division
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. season — in sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. season — of the year
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rock — a stone
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rock — music
  21. kid — child
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ruler — for measuring

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