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

Word bank: pitch · drill · mate · wound · leaves · arm · fall · chip

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wound — an injury
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — a partner
  12. drill — a practice
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mate — to breed
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. chip — to eat

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