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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. band — a music group
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. band — a ring
  17. ball — a dance
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pitch — completely

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