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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bank — for money
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pop — to visit
  17. present — the time now
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. face — to point toward
  20. hand — in cards
  21. present — there
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bank — of a river
  24. coach — a trainer

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