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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: arm · track · bear · season · prune · pit · face · pass

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pass — a permit
  5. face — to point toward
  6. track — a song
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bear — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. track — a path
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pit — a hole
  17. face — part of the head
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. season — of the year
  24. track — to keep track

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