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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 120 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: wake · fall · pitcher · mate · saw · bear · lash · current

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. current — happening now
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. fall — the season
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bear — the animal
  20. current — of water
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. current — electric

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