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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. content — happy
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pass — a permit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wound — an injury
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. content — the amount
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. face — to confront
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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