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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 124 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. track — to keep track
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. field — for sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. track — a path
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. track — a song
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. present — the time now
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. present — a gift
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. present — there
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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