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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. field — farmland
  6. row — to paddle
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. net — for catching
  10. vault — a safe
  11. net — in sport
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. net — after costs
  17. row — a line
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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