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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: leaves · lean · ground · mark · face · present · pit · file

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. file — a tool
  3. present — a gift
  4. ground — a position
  5. face — to point toward
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mark — a grade
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. present — the time now
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lean — thin
  13. file — a document
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pit — in a race
  16. present — there
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lean — to bend
  21. file — a line of people
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pit — a hole

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