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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · kid · field · sharp · stand · lash · mug · rash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kid — child
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. field — farmland
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mug — a cup

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