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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitch — completely
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. band — a music group
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. present — a gift
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. present — the time now
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. band — a ring
  24. dip — to sink

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