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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 116 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
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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: row · lie · mark · field · pound · staff · face · scale

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. field — farmland
  4. staff — employees
  5. scale — in music
  6. face — to confront
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pound — a weight
  10. face — part of the head
  11. staff — a stick
  12. face — to point toward
  13. field — for sport
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. scale — size or range
  18. staff — employees
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. field — a subject
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. row — a line

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