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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. firm — steady
  7. rash — a series
  8. field — a subject
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bore — to tire
  14. firm — a company
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. field — farmland
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — hasty
  23. firm — decided
  24. pit — in a race

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