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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pitch — completely
  4. snap — to click
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. face — to confront
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. staff — employees
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. staff — employees
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. face — to point toward
  21. staff — a stick
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. trunk — of a car

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