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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pop — to visit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. pop — soda
  8. file — a document
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mug — a face
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mug — a cup
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pitch — completely
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. file — a tool
  22. pop — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — to rob

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