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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mark — a grade
  4. squash — the sport
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — of water
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stem — to come from
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pitch — completely
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. leaves — lets stay

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