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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.

Make a worksheet

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: face · fine · pitch · fan · suit · temple · ground · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ground — a position
  5. fine — all right
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fan — a supporter

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