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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. season — in sport
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fall — the season
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. season — of the year
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fall — to drop

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