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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: prune · face · fine · field · mouse · lie · race · deal

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. field — for sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. field — farmland
  10. face — to confront
  11. race — a contest
  12. lie — to recline
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. field — a subject
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. race — humankind
  22. face — part of the head
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mouse — for a computer

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