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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: bank · sharp · pitch · hide · bark · rest · mate · plane

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bank — for money
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rest — a break
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bank — for money
  22. hide — animal skin
  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