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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pitch — completely
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mate — a friend
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. object — a thing
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. race — humankind
  16. mate — a partner
  17. race — a contest
  18. object — to protest
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. dip — to sink
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. dip — to dunk

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