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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: field · band · spell · fine · bark · lie · safe · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. field — farmland
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. field — for sport
  7. spell — magic
  8. band — a ring
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fine — all right
  15. spell — a short time
  16. band — a music group
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — letters
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fine — high quality
  24. field — a subject

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