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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: pound · nail · wake · tube · cabinet · pitch · wind · dip

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tube — a container
  8. wind — moving air
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tube — the underground

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