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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: field · toast · fan · face · rash · file · craft · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. field — farmland
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rash — a series
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. face — to confront
  10. field — a subject
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. face — to point toward
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. field — for sport
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. file — a tool
  21. toast — bread
  22. craft — boats
  23. file — a document
  24. foot — a measure

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