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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 preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pitch — completely
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. face — to point toward
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lean — thin

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