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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · pitch · arm · nail · bore · hide · bass · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pitch — completely
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rest — a break
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bass — low music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rest — what's left
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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