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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. field — farmland
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rush — hurry
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stand — to bear
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. saw — the tool
  17. field — for sport
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. can — to be able to
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — a thrill

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