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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rule — a law
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitch — completely
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rule — government
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wax — to grow
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wax — for sculpting

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