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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: firm · tear · field · rush · coach · lash · mouse · fork

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. field — farmland
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fork — in a road
  17. tear — to rip
  18. firm — decided
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. field — for sport
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. tear — from crying

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