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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
468
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: nail · face · perch · pitch · spell · bat · craft · stem

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. craft — a skill
  4. spell — a short time
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. spell — letters
  11. stem — to come from
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. craft — boats
  21. spell — magic
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — to confront
  24. bat — for baseball

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