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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. pop — soda
  5. key — in music
  6. face — to confront
  7. bank — for money
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bank — of a river
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lean — thin
  19. bank — for money
  20. field — farmland
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pop — music
  23. face — part of the head
  24. key — for a lock

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