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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pitch — completely
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bank — of a river
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fine — all right
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bank — for money
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. face — to confront

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