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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. object — to protest
  6. bear — the animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rest — a break
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. object — a thing
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — the animal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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