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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: rock · leaves · field · drill · kick · temple · face · lash

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rock — music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. drill — a practice
  11. face — to confront
  12. field — a subject
  13. face — to point toward
  14. drill — army training
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. face — part of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. kick — in football
  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