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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 124 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. face — part of the head
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. face — to confront
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. face — to point toward
  19. band — a ring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. band — a music group
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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