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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: key · face · leaves · stand · pit · clip · stick · pound

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. clip — a video
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. face — to confront
  13. pound — a weight
  14. key — the most important part
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. key — in music
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pit — a hole
  22. clip — for paper
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. key — for a lock

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