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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. last — final
  3. shower — rain
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cue — for pool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cue — a hint
  15. last — finally
  16. cue — a signal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — to point toward
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. face — to confront
  24. last — to go on

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