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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. face — part of the head
  5. net — in sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pass — a permit
  11. face — to confront
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. net — for catching
  21. face — to point toward
  22. net — after costs
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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