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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. field — a subject
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. row — to paddle
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. row — a line
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. row — a quarrel

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