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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. can — a tin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. suit — to fit
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. field — farmland
  9. can — a tin
  10. bore — to tire
  11. file — a document
  12. field — for sport
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bore — to drill
  15. suit — in cards
  16. file — a tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kid — child
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bore — gave birth

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