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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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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: present · rule · lean · lash · field · swing · mate · craft

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. rule — a law
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. present — a gift
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. lean — to bend
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mate — a partner
  17. field — farmland
  18. present — the time now
  19. mate — to breed
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lean — thin
  24. mate — a friend

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