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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. hand — help
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. branch — a division
  13. bark — to shout
  14. key — for a lock
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. key — in music
  24. branch — of a tree

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