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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · pitch · temple · fan · arm · lean · wave · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lean — thin
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lean — to bend
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pitch — completely
  11. court — of law
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitch — a sports field

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