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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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. file — a line of people
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. tear — to rip
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. tear — from crying
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. file — a tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. file — a document
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tear — from crying

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