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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. field — for sport
  9. bound — tied together
  10. lean — to bend
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. face — to point toward
  13. field — farmland
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. face — to confront
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bound — certain
  23. staff — employees
  24. bound — obliged

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