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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wound — an injury
  3. tube — the underground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. march — the month
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. march — the month
  16. lie — to recline
  17. tube — a container
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. march — music
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. face — part of the head

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