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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. field — for sport
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. charge — in control
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chest — a box
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. field — farmland
  15. row — to paddle
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. field — a subject
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. row — a line
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lash — an eyelash

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