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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: rush · toast · field · key · swing · wake · temple · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. face — to confront
  10. wake — a trail
  11. swing — in golf
  12. field — farmland
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. toast — bread
  15. swing — to play on
  16. key — in music
  17. swing — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. key — the most important part
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. face — part of the head
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. key — for a lock

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