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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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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: present · mine · pitch · wound · arm · chest · lie · mate

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. present — the time now
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — there
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mine — for digging
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. present — a gift
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pitch — completely

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