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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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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: ball · can · straw · lie · face · pitch · rest · present

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rest — a break
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — a tin
  8. present — there
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. present — a gift
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — completely
  16. face — to confront
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rest — what's left
  24. present — the time now

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