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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: firm · kick · field · ruler · fan · bore · saw · lash

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. firm — steady
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. field — a subject
  8. kick — in football
  9. firm — a company
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. field — farmland
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. field — for sport
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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