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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rush — hurry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cold — an illness
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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