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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · mark · game · last · firm · bore · mate · pit

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. mark — a grade
  4. game — a match
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mate — a partner
  8. firm — a company
  9. face — to confront
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pit — a hole
  21. face — to point toward
  22. last — to go on
  23. mate — a friend
  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