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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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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: pitch · face · ruler · kick · row · stem · toast · lash

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. face — to confront
  5. row — a line
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pitch — completely
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stem — to come from
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. face — to point toward
  16. row — to paddle
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kick — in football
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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