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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 · bear · mate · land · leaves · field · stand · key

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bear — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. face — part of the head
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stand — to bear
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. face — to confront
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — in music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. field — farmland
  23. stand — for spectators
  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