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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.

Make a worksheet

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: face · nail · field · leaves · bear · cabinet · wave · stem

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bear — the animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bear — the animal
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. field — a subject
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. field — farmland
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. field — for sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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