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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cue — for pool
  10. lean — thin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. row — a line
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cell — a phone
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. suit — clothes
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cell — in biology
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cell — in a prison

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