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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. field — farmland
  8. mug — to rob
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. field — a subject
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — a face
  16. rule — a law
  17. mug — a cup
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitch — completely
  22. field — for sport
  23. rule — government
  24. prune — to trim

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