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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. charge — in control
  4. object — an aim
  5. spell — a short time
  6. field — for sport
  7. object — to protest
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. spell — magic
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. object — a thing
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. shower — to wash
  18. charge — electricity
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. field — farmland
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. spell — letters
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. shower — rain

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