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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rock — a stone
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. face — to point toward
  7. field — farmland
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. field — a subject
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. face — to confront
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. field — for sport
  23. rock — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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