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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 116 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: face · bass · straw · safe · dip · game · sharp · pitch

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitch — completely
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. sharp — clever
  8. face — to confront
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bass — low music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. game — wild animals

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