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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 120 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: key · pitch · wave · temple · straw · file · last · bore

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. last — finally
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. file — a tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bore — to tire
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bore — to drill
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. last — to go on
  18. file — a document
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. last — final
  24. temple — a place of worship

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