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

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

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

Answer key

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

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