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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stand — to bear
  5. face — part of the head
  6. saw — the tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. key — the most important part
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. row — a line
  20. face — to point toward
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. key — in music
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. saw — the tool

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