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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. track — a song
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. kid — to tease
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pit — a hole
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ground — a position
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. track — a path
  20. lie — to recline
  21. face — to confront
  22. ground — the earth
  23. kid — child
  24. ground — crushed

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