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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: cell · fan · fork · board · nail · face · mug · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cell — in biology
  8. face — to confront
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — to get on
  17. mug — to rob
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. field — for sport
  20. board — a committee
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mug — a face
  24. nail — for a hammer

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