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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.

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: dip · leaves · face · coach · file · date · pit · pitcher

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pit — in a race
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. face — to confront
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. date — the fruit
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. coach — a trainer

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