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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 · stick · race · leaves · chest · lie · pop

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. race — the arms race
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pop — music
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pop — soda
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. race — humankind
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. race — a contest
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. face — to confront

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