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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: lash · track · press · field · bore · band · game · lie

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. game — wild animals
  5. band — a music group
  6. field — farmland
  7. press — newspapers
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lie — to recline
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bore — to drill
  15. press — to push
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. field — for sport
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. band — a ring
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bore — to tire

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