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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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. last — to go on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pitch — completely
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. face — part of the head
  7. last — final
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rash — hasty
  16. face — to confront
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rash — a series
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mate — to breed
  22. last — finally
  23. shower — rain
  24. rash — on the skin

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