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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: last · sharp · spell · hide · pitch · current · saw · wake

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. last — finally
  7. current — of water
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. current — electric
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. last — to go on
  12. wake — a trail
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. saw — the tool
  19. spell — letters
  20. pitch — completely
  21. last — final
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. sharp — clever

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