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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stand — to bear
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pop — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pop — to visit
  9. field — for sport
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pop — soda
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lash — an eyelash

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