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

Word bank: leaves · wake · fork · face · deal · race · pit · coach

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. face — to confront
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fork — in a road
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. race — humankind
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. race — a contest
  24. face — to point toward

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