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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. staff — employees
  5. fork — in a road
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. face — to confront
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — to recline
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fork — a garden tool

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