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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. file — a document
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. file — a tool
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. snap — to click
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. sharp — exactly

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