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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 120 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: tear · board · temple · hand · mark · press · face · pitch

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. face — to point toward
  3. board — to get on
  4. mark — a trace
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. press — newspapers
  10. hand — in cards
  11. press — to push
  12. pitch — completely
  13. tear — to rip
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. board — a committee
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. face — to confront
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mark — a grade
  22. hand — help
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pitch — a sports field

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