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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. face — to point toward
  3. track — a song
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. face — to confront
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. march — the month
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. march — music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. face — part of the head
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pound — a weight
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. march — the month
  21. cue — for pool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. track — a path
  24. pound — to hit hard

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