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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. row — a line
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. band — a ring
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. snap — to click
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cell — in biology
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. band — a music group
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. row — to paddle
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. row — a quarrel
  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