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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wind — moving air
  5. shower — to wash
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wind — moving air
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. shower — rain
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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