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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. shower — rain
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. face — to confront
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. staff — employees
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — completely
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lie — to recline
  19. face — to point toward
  20. shower — to wash
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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