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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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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: mouse · fork · pit · lash · mark · lean · field · mug

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. field — a subject
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lean — thin
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. field — for sport
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mug — a face
  22. mark — a grade
  23. field — farmland
  24. lean — to bend

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