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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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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: season · field · patient · craft · staff · rock · face · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. face — part of the head
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. staff — employees
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bore — to drill
  9. craft — boats
  10. field — farmland
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. season — of the year
  13. rock — a stone
  14. craft — a skill
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. staff — employees
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rock — music
  24. season — in sport

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