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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. land — a country
  3. court — of law
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. court — of a king
  7. field — farmland
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. land — to come down
  12. stem — to come from
  13. field — a subject
  14. land — ground
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. court — for sport
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. field — for sport

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