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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. court — of law
  13. face — part of the head
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pass — a permit
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. face — to point toward
  24. arm — part of the body

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