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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: fall · temple · field · hide · stand · track · spring · mug

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. field — for sport
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. mug — a cup
  11. track — a path
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mug — a face
  15. track — to keep track
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fall — the season
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mug — to rob
  23. track — a song
  24. temple — a place of worship

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