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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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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 · nail · rest · current · cabinet · pitch · rule · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — government
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. current — of water
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — a break
  14. current — happening now
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. current — electric
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rule — a law

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