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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. last — finally
  5. fall — the season
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wound — an injury
  10. field — a subject
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wound — an injury
  14. last — to go on
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. last — final
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. field — farmland
  24. ruler — for measuring

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