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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. season — of the year
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — to be able to
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. season — in sport
  11. dip — to sink
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. face — part of the head
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. can — a tin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. face — to point toward
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. coach — a trainer

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