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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. firm — steady
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chip — for betting
  7. tear — to rip
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. firm — decided
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fall — the season
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. firm — a company
  24. chip — to eat

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