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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. cold — an illness
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rash — hasty
  8. date — the fruit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rash — a series
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cold — not warm
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. season — in sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. season — of the year
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. leaves — of a tree

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