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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · foot · face · march · bound · pass · coach · snap

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — to confront
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — obliged
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. march — the month
  12. bound — certain
  13. snap — to click
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pass — a permit
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. march — music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. face — to point toward
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. face — part of the head
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bound — tied together

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