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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
468
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: mate · bear · pitcher · hide · rest · saw · prune · fan

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. rest — a break
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — to breed
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mate — a partner
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  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