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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: face · march · lash · mate · pitch · shower · tube · safe

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — a container
  4. march — the month
  5. pitch — completely
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. face — to point toward
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — to confront
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. march — the month
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. march — music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. face — part of the head
  20. shower — to wash
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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