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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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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: temple · nail · pitcher · wave · pass · hide · arm · last

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. last — final
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. last — finally
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. last — to go on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pitcher — a jug

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