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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pitch — completely
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rule — a law
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rule — government
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. straw — dry grass

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