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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · field · rash · fan · sharp · last · ball · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. last — to go on
  3. field — for sport
  4. lean — thin
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. field — a subject
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. last — final
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ball — a great time
  15. last — finally
  16. field — farmland
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rash — a series
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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