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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.

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: face · field · spring · mark · hide · lie · kid · suit

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. spring — a coil
  3. field — a subject
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. field — farmland
  12. suit — in cards
  13. field — for sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spring — of water
  16. suit — to fit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — a trace
  19. spring — the season
  20. kid — child
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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