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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.

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: field · rest · foot · leaves · band · plane · rash · dip

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. band — a ring
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. plane — a tool
  14. dip — to sink
  15. field — a subject
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rest — what's left
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. rash — hasty

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