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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: mate · face · field · tube · rule · calf · stick · fine

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mate — a partner
  4. face — to confront
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. face — part of the head
  10. field — a subject
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. rule — a law
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mate — a friend
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mate — to breed
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tube — a container
  21. rule — government
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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