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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · pitch · hide · bay · rule · face

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rest — a break
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rule — government
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rule — a law
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. face — to confront
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rest — what's left
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rest — what's left

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