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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: foot · face · current · wave · field · dip · pit · bark

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pit — in a race
  5. field — for sport
  6. face — to point toward
  7. current — happening now
  8. pit — a hole
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. field — a subject
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. dip — to sink
  20. field — farmland
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. face — to confront
  24. dip — to dunk

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