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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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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: kick · toast · nail · hide · wave · pitch · plane · squash

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. toast — bread
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kick — in football
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pitch — completely
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. squash — to crush
  21. plane — a tool
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. toast — the most admired

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