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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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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: rest · bat · rush · fork · face · leaves · pound · bay

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bat — the animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rest — what's left
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rest — a break
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pound — for dogs

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