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

Word bank: wound · arm · bulb · pitch · leaves · cell · hide · pound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cell — in biology
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wound — an injury
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bulb — for light
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pound — for dogs

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