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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: squash · leaves · mouse · face · rule · field · current · mark

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. field — a subject
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rule — government
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mark — a grade
  7. field — for sport
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. current — electric
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. current — of water
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. face — to confront
  19. mark — a trace
  20. face — part of the head
  21. squash — the sport
  22. current — happening now
  23. field — farmland
  24. rule — a law

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