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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 120 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: bat · coach · hide · face · pass · mark · court · rest

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pass — a permit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. court — of a king
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bat — the animal
  8. face — to confront
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rest — a break
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mark — to pay attention

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