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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. track — a song
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cold — not warm
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — completely
  16. track — to keep track
  17. squash — the sport
  18. track — a path
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. squash — to crush
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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