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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mark — a trace
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. shower — to wash
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. capital — money
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. shower — rain
  17. firm — a company
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mark — a grade
  20. firm — decided
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. face — part of the head
  23. capital — a city
  24. firm — steady

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