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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: leaves · rock · pitch · face · dip · mouse · wound · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wound — an injury
  11. staff — employees
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. face — to confront
  19. rock — music
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. face — part of the head
  24. dip — to sink

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