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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: pitch · can · fall · hide · wind · last · nail · file

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. last — to go on
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. can — a tin
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. last — final
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fall — to drop
  9. file — a document
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wind — moving air
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. file — a line of people
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fall — to drop
  20. last — finally
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a tool
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pitch — a sports field

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