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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitch — completely
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ground — a position
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ground — crushed
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chest — a box
  16. charge — a price
  17. ground — the earth
  18. chest — of your body
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. charge — electricity
  21. row — a line
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. charge — in control

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