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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: march · season · pit · pass · bulb · bear · snap · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. march — the month
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. face — to confront
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pass — a permit
  12. snap — to click
  13. season — in sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. face — to point toward
  20. march — music
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. season — of the year
  24. march — the month

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