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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pitch — completely
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. club — for golf
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. club — for dancing
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. club — a group
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stand — to bear
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. lie — to recline

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