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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 124 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. file — a document
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. file — a line of people
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lie — to recline
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. file — a tool

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