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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. last — final
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. last — to go on
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fall — the season
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. face — to confront
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. last — finally

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