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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. drill — a practice
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pit — in a race
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. drill — army training
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — the amount
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. drill — the tool
  24. arm — part of the body

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