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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: leaves · field · cue · face · current · sharp · pass · lean

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lean — to bend
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lean — thin
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cue — for pool
  9. current — happening now
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. current — of water
  12. field — for sport
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. field — farmland
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. face — to confront
  17. field — a subject
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. sharp — clever
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. current — electric

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