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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · suit · pitcher · hide · wound · cabinet

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. suit — clothes
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. suit — to fit
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — a thrill

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