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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. row — a line
  3. stem — to come from
  4. row — to paddle
  5. field — a subject
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. foot — a measure
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. drill — army training
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. field — farmland
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. field — for sport
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. can — a tin
  24. foot — the bottom

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