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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
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: pitcher · shower · racket · lash · wax · mine · hide · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wax — to grow
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mine — for digging
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. roll — a list
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. roll — a cake
  21. shower — rain
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pitcher — a jug

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