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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. field — a subject
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bound — obliged
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. field — farmland
  11. bound — certain
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. field — for sport
  14. spring — of water
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. spring — the season
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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