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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: race · face · rest · land · leaves · hide · dip · suit

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. suit — to fit
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. suit — clothes
  9. race — humankind
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rest — a break
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — part of the head
  15. dip — to sink
  16. land — ground
  17. rest — what's left
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rest — what's left
  22. suit — in cards
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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