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

Word bank: jam · cell · lash · mark · field · nail · rest · calf

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rest — what's left
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. field — for sport
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rest — a break
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. field — a subject
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rest — what's left

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