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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. last — final
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. last — finally
  12. kick — in football
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. last — to go on
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ground — a position
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ground — the earth

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