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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. spell — a short time
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spell — letters
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. march — the month
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. tube — a container
  13. fall — the season
  14. face — to confront
  15. pit — in a race
  16. face — to point toward
  17. march — music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fall — to drop
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. spell — magic
  24. march — the month

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