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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. date — the fruit
  3. face — to confront
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. race — humankind
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. shower — rain
  8. mark — a grade
  9. race — a contest
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ball — a great time
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mate — to breed
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mark — a trace
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mate — a friend
  20. race — the arms race
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mate — a partner
  24. leaves — of a tree

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