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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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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: hide · rest · nail · mouse · pitch · bat · trunk · dip

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitch — completely
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. dip — to sink
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rest — a break
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bat — in an idiom

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