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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · field · roll · kick · rock · trunk · face · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. field — for sport
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. field — a subject
  6. file — a line of people
  7. last — to go on
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. rock — a stone
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. kick — in football
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. last — finally
  15. file — a document
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. file — a tool
  18. field — farmland
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. roll — a cake
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. face — to confront
  24. rock — music

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