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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chip — to eat
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. hand — help
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. face — to point toward
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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