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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: leaves · track · pitcher · cue · face · field · hide · wave

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. face — to point toward
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cue — a hint
  9. field — for sport
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. face — to confront
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cue — for pool
  14. track — a path
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. field — farmland
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. field — a subject
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. track — a song
  24. wave — of the sea

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