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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: bay · shower · nail · object · pitch · lean · fall · chest

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chest — of your body
  10. object — an aim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lean — thin
  19. chest — a box
  20. object — to protest
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. object — a thing

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