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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: lean · pitch · march · bat · temple · face · drill · calf

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bat — the animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lean — thin
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pitch — completely
  8. lean — to bend
  9. march — the month
  10. drill — army training
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. march — music
  17. face — to point toward
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. march — the month
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. temple — a place of worship

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