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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. field — for sport
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. field — farmland
  16. object — a thing
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. object — an aim
  19. rush — hurry
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cell — a phone
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. object — to protest
  24. cue — a hint

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