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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. drill — the tool
  11. field — for sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pass — a permit
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. field — farmland
  22. drill — army training
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wake — a trail

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