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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. staff — employees
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. staff — employees
  11. field — farmland
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. field — a subject
  14. staff — a stick
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lean — thin
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. content — the amount
  21. bore — to drill
  22. content — happy
  23. toast — bread
  24. pass — to spend time

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