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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: lean · kid · mug · wind · mate · pitcher · hide · bear

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. 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. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mug — to rob
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lean — thin
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mug — a face
  21. mate — a friend
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kid — to tease
  24. 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