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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · present · pitch · rush · clip · lean · leaves · bay

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. clip — a video
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. clip — to cut
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lean — thin
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. row — a line

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