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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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 — completely
  3. last — final
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. last — to go on
  7. pit — in a race
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. last — finally
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. lean — thin
  13. shower — to wash
  14. charge — in control
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. charge — a price
  21. lean — to bend
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fine — all right
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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