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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. present — a gift
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. clip — a video
  11. lean — thin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. present — the time now
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. present — there
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. clip — for paper
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bank — of a river

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