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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: nail · pitch · trunk · leaves · safe · hide · race · mate

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. race — humankind
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. race — a contest
  15. mate — to breed
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pitch — completely
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. race — the arms race
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mate — a friend
  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