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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. face — part of the head
  7. dip — to sink
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. root — the cause
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. face — to confront
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. face — to point toward
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. root — of a word
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. dip — a sauce

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