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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. last — final
  3. kick — in football
  4. last — finally
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. last — to go on
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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