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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. face — to confront
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rash — a series

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