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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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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: sharp · pitch · staff · lie · fall · bore · mug · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pitch — completely
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fall — the season
  14. mug — a face
  15. bore — to tire
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mug — to rob
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. staff — employees

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