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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: toast · face · saw · rock · rule · field · roll · cap

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. face — part of the head
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rock — a stone
  6. field — farmland
  7. face — to confront
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rule — government
  16. rock — music
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. field — a subject
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. cap — of ice
  24. field — for sport

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