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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.

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: bay · pitcher · pound · rush · deal · hand · plane · hide

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rush — to hurry

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