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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. field — a subject
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cap — a hat
  11. field — for sport
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — thin
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. lash — to lash out

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