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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 120 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.

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: pitcher · mug · bat · drill · hide · squash · wake · wave

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. drill — army training
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wake — a trail

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