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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pitch — completely
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lean — thin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rest — what's left
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rest — a break
  24. sharp — clever

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