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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: can · sharp · rush · toast · season · clip · field · tear

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. clip — for paper
  4. field — farmland
  5. clip — to cut
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. sharp — clever
  9. season — in sport
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — bread
  15. clip — a video
  16. season — of the year
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rush — hurry
  19. field — for sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rush — to hurry

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