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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: pitcher · bear · rush · mine · lash · drill · cell · bay

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bear — the animal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bear — the animal
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. drill — army training
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rush — hurry

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