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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: pit · lean · pitch · content · snap · bay · shower · rest

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rest — a break
  10. lean — thin
  11. snap — to click
  12. content — happy
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. content — the amount
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lean — to bend

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