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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rock — a stone
  3. suit — to fit
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fall — the season
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lean — thin
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pitch — completely
  12. branch — a division
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rock — music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bear — the animal

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