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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
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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 · season · file · root · coach · mug · face · hide

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mug — a face
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. face — to confront
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. root — of a word
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. file — a tool
  10. field — for sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mug — to rob
  13. season — of the year
  14. field — farmland
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. face — part of the head
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. root — the cause
  22. file — a document
  23. field — a subject
  24. file — a line of people

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