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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 120 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: current · pitch · hide · last · tear · foot · mouse · nail

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. last — final
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. foot — a measure
  18. current — happening now
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mouse — the animal
  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