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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lean — to bend
  3. field — a subject
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. face — to confront
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. face — to point toward
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. field — for sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lean — thin
  22. field — farmland
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. squash — to crush

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