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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 · last · ruler · mark · lie · shower · safe · cell

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. last — to go on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cell — in biology
  18. shower — rain
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cell — a phone

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