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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 120 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: safe · spell · stick · face · track · charge · press · field

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. field — a subject
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. track — a song
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spell — a short time
  8. face — to confront
  9. spell — letters
  10. face — to point toward
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. field — farmland
  14. spell — magic
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. charge — a price
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. face — part of the head
  21. charge — electricity
  22. field — for sport
  23. charge — in control
  24. safe — out of danger

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