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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitch — completely
  3. lean — thin
  4. stem — to come from
  5. present — the time now
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kick — in football
  11. bound — tied together
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — there
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bound — certain
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lean — to bend
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. present — a gift
  24. lean — to rest against

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