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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hand — help
  4. race — a contest
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — letters
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. spell — a short time
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. spell — magic
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. charge — electricity
  22. branch — a division
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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