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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.

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: mate · face · lie · plane · cell · clip · mug · pitch

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. clip — to cut
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. clip — a video
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — for paper
  13. mate — to breed
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mug — a face
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mate — a partner
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mate — a friend

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