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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lie — to recline
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — a division
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fall — the season
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wound — an injury
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fall — to drop

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