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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.

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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: root · craft · wave · stand · chest · field · scale · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. craft — boats
  4. root — of a word
  5. chest — a box
  6. field — a subject
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. scale — size or range
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stand — to bear
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. field — farmland
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. root — the cause
  18. chest — of your body
  19. scale — in music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. field — for sport
  22. root — of a plant
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stand — for spectators

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