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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.

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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: fork · arm · field · face · fine · cell · bulb · mate

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fine — high quality
  3. face — to confront
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cell — in biology
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. field — a subject
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. field — for sport
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. field — farmland
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cell — a phone
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fine — all right
  24. cell — in a prison

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