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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. present — there
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. last — to go on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. present — the time now
  13. fall — to drop
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. present — a gift
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fall — the season
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. last — finally
  24. chair — a leader

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