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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
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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: lie · field · hide · spell · stand · cabinet · face · suit

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. spell — a short time
  5. field — farmland
  6. spell — letters
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. field — for sport
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. suit — to fit
  13. field — a subject
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spell — magic
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lie — to recline

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