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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: hide · track · nail · degree · pitch · wind · face · can

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitch — completely
  4. can — a tin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wind — moving air
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. can — to be able to
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. track — a song
  17. face — part of the head
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. can — a tin
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. degree — temperature
  24. hide — to keep secret

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