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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: mug · wound · field · ruler · face · last · stand · bear

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. field — a subject
  5. wound — an injury
  6. face — to confront
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. field — farmland
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — final
  18. bear — the animal
  19. last — to go on
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. field — for sport
  23. last — finally
  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