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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cell — a phone
  3. face — to confront
  4. cell — in biology
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. chip — to eat
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bore — to tire
  19. spell — letters
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. press — to push
  24. spell — magic

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