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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. last — final
  4. current — happening now
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. last — to go on
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. field — farmland
  9. current — electric
  10. field — for sport
  11. last — finally
  12. land — to come down
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. land — ground
  15. mark — a trace
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. land — a country
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. field — a subject
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. current — of water

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