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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mate — a friend
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. band — a ring
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. band — a music group
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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