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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: net · wave · pitch · arm · face · trunk · spell · stick

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. spell — letters
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. face — to confront
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. spell — a short time
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — after costs
  16. spell — magic
  17. face — to point toward
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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