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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pitch — completely
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. shower — rain
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wind — moving air
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fine — all right
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stand — on your feet

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