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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: fan · hide · perch · rest · field · foot · fine · face

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fine — all right
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. face — part of the head
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rest — a break
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. field — a subject

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