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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. field — farmland
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rock — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — for sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. drill — army training
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. drill — a practice

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