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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 116 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.

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: fall · pitch · mine · nail · trunk · rush · fine · kick

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fall — to drop
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rush — hurry
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fine — high quality
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. kick — in football
  17. fall — the season
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fine — all right

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