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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mug — to rob
  5. court — for sport
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. craft — a skill
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — a gift
  15. craft — boats
  16. mug — a face
  17. court — of law
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mug — a cup
  23. court — of a king
  24. present — the time now

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