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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 116 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: season · coach · tear · pass · plane · face · cap · pit

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. season — of the year
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cap — a hat
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pit — a hole
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cap — a lid
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cap — of ice
  19. plane — a tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — in sport
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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