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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.

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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: mug · rush · field · face · bear · last · foot · object

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. object — a thing
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. face — to confront
  6. mug — to rob
  7. field — farmland
  8. face — to point toward
  9. object — to protest
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bear — the animal
  14. object — an aim
  15. field — for sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. mug — a face
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. face — part of the head
  24. last — final

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