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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cap — a lid
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. cap — of ice
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cap — a hat
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. field — a subject
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bore — to drill
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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