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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.

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: pound · pitch · lie · sharp · bass · branch · hide · wound

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wound — an injury
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bass — low music
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pound — a weight
  20. lie — to recline
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wound — an injury

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