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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. field — a subject
  3. wound — an injury
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — to confront
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. field — for sport
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bank — for money
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bank — for money
  22. wound — an injury
  23. field — farmland
  24. stand — to bear

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