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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 · calf · mate · pass · face · tear · pitch · bowl

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. tear — from crying
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. face — part of the head
  12. tear — to rip
  13. face — to confront
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pass — to spend time

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