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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. face — part of the head
  3. snap — to click
  4. rest — a break
  5. face — to point toward
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lean — thin
  22. face — to confront
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rush — a thrill

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