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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: rest · field · face · chair · ball · lie · current · arm

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rest — what's left
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. current — electric
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rest — a break
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ball — a dance
  9. face — to point toward
  10. ball — a great time
  11. current — of water
  12. field — a subject
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. current — happening now
  17. chair — a leader
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rest — what's left
  20. field — farmland
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. field — for sport
  23. lie — to recline
  24. face — to confront

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