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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: mark · patient · mate · face · leaves · race · pit · court

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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 grade
  3. race — the arms race
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. face — part of the head
  9. race — humankind
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pit — a hole
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. court — for sport
  17. race — a contest
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pit — in a race
  21. court — of a king
  22. face — to confront
  23. court — of law
  24. patient — a sick person

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