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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rest — what's left
  6. field — for sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. tear — from crying
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — a subject
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rest — a break
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. tear — from crying
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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