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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. field — for sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. field — farmland
  9. perch — the fish
  10. staff — employees
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. field — a subject
  16. charge — in control
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. staff — employees
  20. charge — a price
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. charge — electricity
  23. tube — a container
  24. lash — to lash out

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