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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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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: row · saw · hide · pitcher · bore · plane · rush · cell

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cell — a phone
  3. row — a line
  4. bore — to drill
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — to paddle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rush — hurry
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bore — to tire
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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