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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. field — farmland
  3. pop — to visit
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. field — for sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pop — music
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pop — soda
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. field — a subject
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. land — to come down
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. toast — bread

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