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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lean — to bend
  6. face — to confront
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pass — a permit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. face — part of the head
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. capital — a city
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lean — thin
  24. capital — 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