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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. row — a line
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fine — all right
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fine — high quality
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. snap — to click
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pitch — completely
  23. row — to paddle
  24. hide — to keep secret

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