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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.

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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: mark · face · bowl · pitch · lie · saw · stand · cabinet

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. face — to confront
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stand — to bear
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bowl — a football final

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