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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mark — a trace
  3. present — the time now
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. present — a gift
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lean — thin
  16. present — there
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mate — a partner
  20. face — to confront
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mark — a grade
  24. face — part of the head

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