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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: field · fork · calf · face · bank · wake · perch · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pass — a permit
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bank — for money
  6. fork — in a road
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. field — for sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. bank — for money
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bank — of a river
  21. field — farmland
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. field — a subject
  24. perch — for a bird

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