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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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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: wind · pitch · nail · file · wake · dip · bat · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. file — a document
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wind — moving air
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pitch — completely
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wind — to turn a key

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