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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · field · face · toast · fine · tear · coach · lie

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — to confront
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. face — to point toward
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fine — high quality
  9. field — for sport
  10. tear — from crying
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wind — moving air
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. field — farmland
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fine — all right
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tear — to rip
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. toast — bread

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