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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rush — hurry
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fall — the season

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