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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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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: pit · leaves · pop · dip · content · face · suit · mark

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. face — to point toward
  4. suit — in cards
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. suit — clothes
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pop — music
  9. face — to confront
  10. pit — in a race
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mark — a trace
  13. content — the amount
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pit — a hole
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pop — soda
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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