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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pit — a hole
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. present — the time now
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. present — there
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. field — for sport
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. season — of the year
  15. wax — to grow
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. present — a gift
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. field — a subject
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. season — in sport
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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