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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · kid · wake · lean · can · field · firm · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. season — of the year
  4. lean — to bend
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. kid — to tease
  8. field — farmland
  9. lean — thin
  10. can — a tin
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. race — humankind
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. race — the arms race
  19. field — for sport
  20. season — in sport
  21. firm — decided
  22. kid — child
  23. field — a subject
  24. wake — a trail

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