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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: jam · stem · board · face · rest · wave · roll · field

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. board — to get on
  6. roll — a list
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. board — a committee
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — for sport
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. face — to confront
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stem — to come from
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. jam — in traffic

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