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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — to recline
  3. kick — in football
  4. staff — employees
  5. mark — a trace
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pitch — completely
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. swing — in golf
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. swing — music
  15. mark — a grade
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. staff — employees

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