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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: field · wave · rock · net · face · nail · fine · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. field — a subject
  3. net — for catching
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. face — part of the head
  6. field — for sport
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. face — to confront
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rock — a stone
  11. lean — thin
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — after costs
  15. face — to point toward
  16. net — in sport
  17. rock — music
  18. fine — all right
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. field — farmland
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. nail — for a hammer

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