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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — to come from
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. sharp — clever
  17. track — a song
  18. can — a tin
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. track — a path
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pitch — completely

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