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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 · face · stand · race · mug · ruler · foot · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mug — to rob
  3. foot — a measure
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. face — part of the head
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. field — a subject
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mug — a face
  12. face — to confront
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stand — to bear
  15. race — humankind
  16. face — to point toward
  17. race — the arms race
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. field — farmland
  23. race — a contest
  24. leaves — to go away

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