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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: pit · field · face · mine · ruler · wound · hide · wax

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. field — farmland
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. field — for sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mine — for digging
  13. face — to confront
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wound — an injury
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. hide — to keep secret

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