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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: lean · field · bear · wind · can · roll · squash · rock

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. field — farmland
  6. rock — a stone
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. can — a tin
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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