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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.

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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: rest · sharp · chip · lash · face · wake · bank · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — to confront
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rest — a break
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. face — part of the head

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