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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: field · hand · toast · fine · lash · object · jam · stem

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. field — farmland
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fine — high quality
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. field — a subject
  10. object — an aim
  11. field — for sport
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. toast — bread
  20. object — a thing
  21. hand — in cards
  22. object — to protest
  23. stem — to come from
  24. hand — help

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