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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pass — a permit
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — an illness
  17. lie — to recline
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cold — not warm
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pass — to spend time

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