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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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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 · pitch · fine · ruler · stick · face · fall · tube

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. tube — the underground
  3. face — part of the head
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — all right
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. fall — the season
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fine — high quality
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ruler — for measuring

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