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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mate — a partner
  3. race — humankind
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. plane — a tool
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. charge — electricity
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. charge — a price
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ground — a position
  14. charge — in control
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. ground — the earth
  18. mate — a friend
  19. race — a contest
  20. mate — to breed
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — crushed
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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