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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. charge — a price
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bound — tied together
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — in music
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pitch — completely
  19. key — for a lock
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bound — certain
  22. craft — boats
  23. key — the most important part
  24. charge — in control

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