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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.

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: mine · prune · stand · face · lash · swing · field · key

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. field — a subject
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. field — farmland
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stand — to bear
  8. swing — music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. swing — to play on
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. face — to point toward
  13. key — in music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. field — for sport
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. key — for a lock
  21. face — to confront
  22. key — the most important part
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — an eyelash

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