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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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 · wave · mug · straw · pitcher · hide

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mug — a face
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rush — hurry
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mug — a cup
  18. hide — animal skin

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