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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: pitch · rest · row · nail · chest · snap · wax · stand

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — a line
  12. chest — of your body
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pitch — completely

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