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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: field · sharp · lie · drill · shower · can · stem · swing

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — rain
  7. can — to be able to
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. field — for sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. drill — a practice
  12. field — a subject
  13. drill — army training
  14. shower — to wash
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lie — to recline
  19. swing — to play on
  20. field — farmland
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. drill — the tool
  23. sharp — clever
  24. can — a tin

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