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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. present — the time now
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. present — a gift
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. present — there
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stem — to come from
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — a trail

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