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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: wake · stick · hide · nail · straw · fine · bear · pitch

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fine — all right
  6. bear — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — a trail
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pitch — completely

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