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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: wave · prune · rash · face · sharp · nail · pit · pitcher

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — to confront
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — to point toward
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. face — part of the head
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rash — hasty
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rash — a series
  24. wave — of the sea

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