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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. last — finally
  4. pop — soda
  5. field — a subject
  6. fine — all right
  7. pop — music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pop — to visit
  13. field — farmland
  14. present — there
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. field — for sport
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. saw — the tool

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