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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rush — hurry
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. land — ground
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. land — to come down
  12. spell — a short time
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spell — magic
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. land — a country
  24. spell — letters

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