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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. firm — a company
  3. prune — to trim
  4. field — farmland
  5. face — part of the head
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. field — for sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. face — to confront
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. firm — decided
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. firm — steady
  22. face — to point toward
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. temple — a place of worship

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