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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 120 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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. present — a gift
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a ring
  11. field — farmland
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — thin
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. band — a music group
  24. foot — a measure

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