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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lean — thin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rest — a break
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lean — to bend

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