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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: shower · pitcher · rush · rash · can · lean · bass · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. can — a tin
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lean — thin
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rash — hasty
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. can — a tin
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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