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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. suit — in cards
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cold — an illness
  7. field — a subject
  8. cold — not warm
  9. field — farmland
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. object — to protest
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. object — a thing
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. field — for sport
  18. object — an aim
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wax — to grow
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. cold — the Cold War

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