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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: mine · face · fork · tube · firm · snap · lie · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. firm — a company
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. firm — decided
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. tube — a container
  15. snap — to click
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — to recline
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. firm — steady
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. face — to confront
  24. mine — for digging

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