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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: calf · ground · plane · file · mug · lean · season · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lean — thin
  3. mug — to rob
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. season — in sport
  7. file — a document
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mug — a face
  13. lean — to bend
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ground — a position
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. season — of the year
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mug — a cup

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