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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pass — a permit
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chest — a box
  22. wind — moving air
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. face — to confront

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