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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: temple · face · fine · calf · bank · pitch · stand · rest

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stand — to bear
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pitch — completely
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bank — of a river
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fine — all right
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rest — what's left
  19. face — to confront
  20. fine — high quality
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stand — on your feet

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