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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · swing · drill · wind · net · pitcher · hide · key

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. net — in sport
  4. rash — a series
  5. wind — moving air
  6. drill — army training
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. swing — music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. net — after costs
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. key — the most important part
  22. net — for catching
  23. wind — moving air
  24. key — in music

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