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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
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: kick · squash · field · land · can · safe · craft · lash

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — the sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. field — farmland
  15. land — a country
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. can — a tin
  18. field — a subject
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — to crush
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. craft — boats
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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