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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. land — to come down
  3. suit — in cards
  4. branch — a division
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. suit — clothes
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. land — a country
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rush — hurry
  21. land — ground
  22. shower — rain
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pitcher — a jug

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