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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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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: rule · scale · bay · fall · face · field · chest · bass

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. field — a subject
  3. chest — of your body
  4. face — to point toward
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rule — government
  19. chest — a box
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. face — to confront

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