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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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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: kick · date · lean · saw · pitch · face · cabinet · fork

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. face — part of the head
  5. saw — the tool
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lean — thin
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. face — to confront
  12. fork — in a road
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. kick — in football
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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