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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: face · pass · pit · march · dip · fan · kick · straw

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. march — the month
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. face — to confront
  6. pass — a permit
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. face — part of the head
  9. march — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pit — in a race
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. march — the month
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kick — in football
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pit — a hole
  24. kick — with a leg

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