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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitch — completely
  3. content — the amount
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. content — happy
  11. bound — certain
  12. pit — in a race
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pit — a hole
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. craft — boats
  24. mine — for digging

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