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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 120 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: hide · rash · firm · can · bore · field · foot · kick

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. firm — steady
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kick — in football
  22. field — farmland
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. firm — decided

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