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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bank — for money
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mate — a friend
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. kid — child
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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