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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.

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: foot · rash · patient · lie · face · field · vault · pitcher

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rash — a series
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rash — hasty
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. foot — a measure
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. face — to confront
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. field — a subject
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lie — to recline
  21. field — for sport
  22. vault — a safe
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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