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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · field · face · staff · mine · fine · wave · rash

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. field — a subject
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. staff — employees
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rash — a series
  10. mine — for digging
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. staff — employees
  16. field — farmland
  17. staff — a stick
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rash — hasty
  22. field — for sport
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fine — all right

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