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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wind — moving air
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rash — a series
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fine — all right
  13. face — to confront
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. can — a tin
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. can — a tin
  24. rash — on the skin

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