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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.

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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. last — to go on
  5. pitch — completely
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. last — final
  9. wake — a trail
  10. season — of the year
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. face — part of the head
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. season — in sport
  15. last — finally
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. face — to confront
  24. season — to add flavour

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