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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · leaves · foot · pitcher · wake · land · face · stand

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. face — to confront
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. snap — to click
  9. land — to come down
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. land — a country
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. land — ground
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. face — to point toward
  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