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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lean — thin
  3. pitch — completely
  4. club — for dancing
  5. face — to confront
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rest — a break
  8. club — for golf
  9. lean — to bend
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rest — what's left
  12. face — to point toward
  13. root — the cause
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. file — a document
  16. rush — hurry
  17. root — of a word
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. face — part of the head
  22. file — a tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. club — a group

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