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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: cell · lie · bay · rest · lash · bear · pound · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bear — the animal
  7. field — farmland
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. field — a subject
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rest — a break
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pound — a weight

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