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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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. squash — to crush
  4. craft — a skill
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. craft — boats
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. suit — in cards
  18. track — to keep track
  19. suit — to fit
  20. track — a song
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. suit — clothes
  23. field — for sport
  24. track — a path

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