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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. row — to paddle
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cold — an illness
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rest — what's left
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — a hat
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cap — a lid
  16. row — a line
  17. cap — of ice
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rest — a break
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — in cards

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