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

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rule — a law
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mate — a partner
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mate — to breed
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rule — government
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pitch — completely

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