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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. foot — a measure
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — to recline
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. perch — the fish
  18. spring — the season
  19. field — farmland
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spring — of water
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. field — a subject

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