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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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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: row · snap · rock · cap · pitch · firm · face · file

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. row — a line
  7. file — a document
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rock — a stone
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. file — a line of people
  14. face — to confront
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rock — music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. file — a tool
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. face — to point toward

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