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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 120 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: pop · pitch · cell · temple · face · spell · rock · arm

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. spell — magic
  3. rock — a stone
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pop — to visit
  10. face — to confront
  11. spell — a short time
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pop — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. face — to point toward
  17. spell — letters
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pop — soda
  23. cell — a phone
  24. arm — part of the body

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