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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 116 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: mate · face · pitch · cabinet · dip · bulb · clip · game

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to confront
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. clip — a video
  14. pitch — completely
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. face — part of the head
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mate — a friend
  22. face — to point toward
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. game — a match

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