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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: wake · nail · hand · pass · pitcher · toast · shower · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. shower — rain
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. toast — bread
  9. hand — in cards
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — a coil
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hand — help
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — of water
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pass — a permit

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