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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. staff — employees
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. face — part of the head
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. face — to confront
  24. fall — the season

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