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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.

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: dip · pop · wind · march · cell · pitch · rush · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. march — the month
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. march — the month
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pop — soda
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. march — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pop — music

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