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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. vault — a safe
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bark — to shout
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pass — a permit
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. temple — a place of worship

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