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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: ball · wave · face · pitch · fine · band · object · nail

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. fine — all right
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ball — a dance
  9. band — a music group
  10. object — a thing
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pitch — completely
  18. object — an aim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. object — to protest
  24. ball — a great time

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