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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: track · mate · rest · object · land · pit · snap · face

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. object — an aim
  3. track — a path
  4. face — to point toward
  5. land — to come down
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. face — part of the head
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rest — a break
  12. object — a thing
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. face — to confront
  19. track — a song
  20. object — to protest
  21. pit — in a race
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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