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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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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. vault — a safe
  3. track — to keep track
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pop — soda
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. track — a song
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pop — to visit
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. face — part of the head
  16. craft — boats
  17. track — a path
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pop — music
  20. face — to confront
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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