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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mate — to breed
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. net — in sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — for catching
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pop — soda
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. net — after costs
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pop — music
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lie — an untruth

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