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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pit — in a race
  8. face — part of the head
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cap — a hat
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fan — a supporter

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