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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. degree — temperature
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. can — to be able to
  7. toast — bread
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. can — a tin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. can — a tin
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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