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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tear — from crying
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rest — a break
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tear — to rip
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mine — for digging
  20. plane — a tool
  21. tear — from crying
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitcher — a jug

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