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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pitch — completely
  11. can — a tin
  12. board — a committee
  13. drill — the tool
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. can — a tin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. drill — army training
  22. board — to get on
  23. lie — to recline
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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