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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cue — for pool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cue — a hint
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cue — a signal
  8. season — of the year
  9. face — to point toward
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rush — hurry
  12. file — a tool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. file — a document
  19. root — of a word
  20. season — in sport
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pass — a permit
  23. root — the cause
  24. rush — a thrill

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