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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: pitch · straw · cell · bear · hide · object · press · race

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — the animal
  4. race — humankind
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. object — a thing
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. press — to push
  12. cell — in biology
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. object — to protest
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. object — an aim
  19. cell — a phone
  20. press — newspapers
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. race — a contest
  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