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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
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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: rush · wake · game · wound · hide · wave · pitch · object

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. game — a match
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. object — to protest
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. object — a thing
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. object — an aim
  24. wound — an injury

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