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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: stem · hand · arm · rush · firm · hide · face · pitch

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. firm — steady
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. firm — decided
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rush — hurry
  23. firm — a company
  24. face — to point toward

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