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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. fall — the season
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. clip — to cut
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. clip — a video
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ground — a position
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. clip — for paper
  17. ground — crushed
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bore — to drill
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bore — to tire
  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