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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tube — a container
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cap — of ice
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. tube — the underground
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. land — ground
  17. plane — a tool
  18. land — a country
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. land — to come down
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. straw — a straw man

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