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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 124 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stand — to bear
  11. spell — letters
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lean — thin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pitch — completely
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lie — an untruth

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