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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: dip · pitch · face · fine · mug · rest · land · mine

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. land — a country
  4. face — to confront
  5. fine — all right
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fine — high quality
  8. land — ground
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mine — for digging
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mug — a face
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mug — to rob
  19. land — to come down
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rest — a break
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. dip — a sauce

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