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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lean — thin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitch — completely
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lean — to bend
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. hand — help
  19. last — finally
  20. hand — in cards
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. last — to go on

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