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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. file — a line of people
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. file — a document
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rash — a series
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. file — a tool

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