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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bore — to drill
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rash — hasty
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. field — a subject
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rash — a series
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. clip — a video
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lie — an untruth

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