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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rest — what's left
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pitch — completely
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. lean — to bend
  13. squash — the sport
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. shower — rain
  17. rest — a break
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lean — thin
  24. face — to point toward

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