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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pitch — completely
  3. shower — rain
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bat — the animal
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wind — moving air
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bank — for money
  24. plane — a tool

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