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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: mate · field · mark · arm · face · leaves · bear · rush

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. field — farmland
  3. rush — hurry
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mate — a partner
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. face — to confront
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. field — a subject
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mark — a trace
  18. field — for sport
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mate — to breed

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