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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rash — a series
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. field — a subject
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mate — a partner
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. calf — a young animal

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