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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: mug · tear · temple · hide · rock · pitcher · stick · roll

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rock — a stone
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rock — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mug — a cup
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. roll — a list
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mug — a face
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mug — to rob

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