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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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Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. clip — for paper
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitch — completely
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. game — wild animals
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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