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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bass — the fish
  5. face — to confront
  6. bass — low music
  7. cap — of ice
  8. band — a music group
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pass — a permit
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pit — in a race
  24. leaves — to go away

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