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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: face · toast · bank · rule · field · can · tear · leaves

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. face — part of the head
  6. can — a tin
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. can — to be able to
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rule — a law
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rule — government
  15. field — a subject
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. toast — bread
  20. tear — from crying
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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