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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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Word bank
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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. field — for sport
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ball — a dance
  8. object — a thing
  9. bound — tied together
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. scale — in music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bound — certain
  20. object — to protest
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. field — farmland
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. object — an aim

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