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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. field — for sport
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bulb — for light
  6. field — farmland
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — in a race
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — for light
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. field — a subject
  19. pit — a hole
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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