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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.

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: field · craft · lie · rash · face · perch · cue · club

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. craft — boats
  3. field — for sport
  4. lie — to recline
  5. field — a subject
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cue — a hint
  8. club — a group
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. face — to point toward
  16. craft — a skill
  17. field — farmland
  18. club — for dancing
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. club — for golf
  21. rash — hasty
  22. face — to confront
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rash — a series

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