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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 120 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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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: fan · saw · bound · foot · safe · bark · lash · field

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. field — for sport
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. saw — the tool
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bound — obliged
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. foot — a measure
  18. field — a subject
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — farmland
  22. bound — certain
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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