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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 116 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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mark — a grade
  6. face — to confront
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mark — a trace
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. snap — to click
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bat — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bat — in an idiom

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