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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: land · fine · mug · stick · staff · face · field · wave

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. fine — all right
  5. land — a country
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. field — a subject
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. face — part of the head
  12. land — to come down
  13. fine — high quality
  14. field — farmland
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mug — a face
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. staff — employees
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mug — to rob
  22. staff — employees
  23. field — for sport
  24. land — ground

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