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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.

Make a worksheet

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: saw · field · cabinet · fan · jam · bowl · rest · lie

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rest — a break
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. field — farmland
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. lie — to recline

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