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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wound — an injury
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. face — to confront
  6. prune — to trim
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pit — in a race
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. face — part of the head
  22. capital — a city
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pit — a hole

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