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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. lie — to recline
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. sharp — clever
  12. present — a gift
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — the time now
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. present — there
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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