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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
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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: stem · toast · fan · hide · rash · wind · field · track

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. field — a subject
  5. wind — moving air
  6. track — a song
  7. field — for sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rash — a series
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stem — to come from
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. wind — moving air
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. toast — bread
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. track — a path
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. field — farmland

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