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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: fan · calf · mark · field · hide · foot · race · hand

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. field — farmland
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mark — a trace
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. field — for sport
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — help
  20. field — a subject
  21. race — humankind
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. calf — a young animal

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