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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: snap · rush · firm · coach · fork · face · field · march

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fork — in a road
  4. face — to point toward
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. field — a subject
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. face — to confront
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. field — for sport
  22. snap — to click
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. field — farmland

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