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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ground — the earth
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lean — thin
  7. fine — all right
  8. tear — to rip
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ground — crushed
  12. tear — from crying
  13. object — a thing
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ground — a position
  18. wake — a trail
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. object — to protest
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. object — an aim

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