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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 116 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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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: kid · mug · rest · wake · racket · face · field · leaves

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mug — a cup
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — child
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. field — a subject
  7. face — to confront
  8. mug — to rob
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rest — a break
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. field — for sport
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rest — what's left
  21. field — farmland
  22. rest — what's left
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mug — a face

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