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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rock — a stone
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. shower — rain
  10. rock — music
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. saw — the tool
  16. shower — to wash
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. capital — a city
  23. saw — the tool
  24. capital — money

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