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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 120 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: wound · bore · pitch · sharp · hide · foot · rash · fan

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rash — a series
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pitch — completely
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rash — hasty
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wound — an injury

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