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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.

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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: mouse · wind · pitcher · rush · bay · plane · bear · present

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. present — the time now
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. present — there
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. present — a gift
  24. wind — moving air

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