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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: firm · face · mark · pitch · arm · mine · prune · wave

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. face — to confront
  3. mark — a trace
  4. firm — decided
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. face — part of the head
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. firm — steady
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mine — for digging
  18. firm — a company
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wave — with your hand

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