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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. present — the time now
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fork — in a road
  11. field — a subject
  12. saw — the tool
  13. field — farmland
  14. pitch — completely
  15. present — there
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. field — for sport
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rest — what's left
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fork — to eat with

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