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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: face · field · cue · present · can · bore · branch · bay

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. branch — a division
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bore — to tire
  7. field — farmland
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. can — a tin
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. bore — to drill
  13. face — to confront
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. can — a tin
  16. present — there
  17. face — to point toward
  18. field — a subject
  19. cue — a signal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cue — for pool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. face — part of the head
  24. field — for sport

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