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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: land · pass · pit · straw · bear · date · lean · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. land — a country
  13. pass — a permit
  14. land — ground
  15. lean — thin
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. land — to come down
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — a hole
  22. face — to confront
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pit — in a race

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