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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: pitcher · shower · lie · object · prune · mug · wake · dip

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. object — to protest
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mug — to rob
  10. shower — rain
  11. object — an aim
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. object — a thing
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mug — a face
  16. wake — a trail
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mug — a cup
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lie — to recline

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