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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mate — to breed
  5. row — a line
  6. mate — a friend
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. court — for sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — of law
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. court — of a king
  15. mate — a partner
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitch — completely
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lie — an untruth

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