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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: mark · wind · fine · straw · toast · pitch · present · face

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. wind — moving air
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. wind — moving air
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. face — to confront
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. mark — a trace
  17. face — part of the head
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. present — the time now
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. wind — to turn a key

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