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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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. race — a contest
  4. row — a line
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. row — to paddle
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. race — the arms race
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stand — to bear
  24. race — humankind

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