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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: pitch · chip · chest · hide · wave · face · rush · temple

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. chip — for betting
  11. face — to confront
  12. chest — of your body
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. chest — a box
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chest — of your body
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pitch — completely
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chip — in a computer

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