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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. field — for sport
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. charge — in control
  6. field — farmland
  7. stand — to bear
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. wake — a trail
  13. field — a subject
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kick — in football
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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