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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: craft · bear · mark · face · lean · press · stick · field

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. field — farmland
  7. lean — thin
  8. mark — a grade
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lean — to bend
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. field — for sport
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. press — a publisher
  18. field — a subject
  19. press — to push
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. face — part of the head
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bear — the animal
  24. craft — boats

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