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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: nail · spring · hide · present · pitcher · rush · wind · bear

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wind — moving air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. present — a gift
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wind — moving air
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bear — the animal
  12. present — the time now
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. present — there
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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