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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: toast · hide · wave · key · stick · swing · stem · pitch

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. swing — music
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. swing — to play on
  5. key — for a lock
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pitch — completely
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. key — in music
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stem — to come from
  23. swing — in golf
  24. toast — bread

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