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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. track — a song
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. roll — a list
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. plane — a tool
  20. track — a path
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pit — in a race
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. track — to keep track

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