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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 120 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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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: bark · leaves · suit · fall · wind · game · face · pass

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wind — moving air
  4. game — a match
  5. fall — to drop
  6. game — wild animals
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bark — to shout
  13. face — to confront
  14. pass — a permit
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wind — moving air
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fall — the season
  24. pass — to succeed

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