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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: wind · cabinet · last · key · pound · hide · pitcher · bay

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. last — to go on
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wind — moving air
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. last — finally
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wind — moving air
  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