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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spring — of water
  4. tube — a container
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spring — the season
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tube — the underground
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. field — a subject
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fall — the season
  20. field — farmland
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bark — to shout

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