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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rush — hurry
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. season — of the year
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. season — in sport
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stand — to bear
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lean — to bend
  18. kid — child
  19. lean — thin
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bark — to shout
  24. kid — to tease

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