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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.

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: pit · mine · tube · date · roll · pass · face · cabinet

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. tube — a container
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. roll — a cake
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. roll — a list
  20. pass — a permit
  21. face — to confront
  22. mine — for digging
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pass — to spend time

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