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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. face — to confront
  4. rest — what's left
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. track — a path
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. can — a tin
  11. field — for sport
  12. can — to be able to
  13. track — a song
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rush — hurry
  16. field — farmland
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. can — a tin
  22. rest — a break
  23. track — to keep track
  24. field — a subject

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