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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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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — a trail
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. field — for sport
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rash — a series
  13. field — a subject
  14. fork — in a road
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pit — a hole
  19. field — farmland
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rash — on the skin

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