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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: wake · saw · tear · pitch · pass · rush · kid · fan

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rush — hurry
  9. tear — from crying
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pass — a permit
  21. tear — from crying
  22. kid — child
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fan — a supporter

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