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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: rock · firm · face · squash · pit · chest · leaves · deal

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pit — a hole
  4. face — to point toward
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. squash — to crush
  17. firm — decided
  18. face — part of the head
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. chest — of your body
  22. face — to confront
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rock — music

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