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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
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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 · pop · rush · lean · object · game · nail · leaves

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pop — to visit
  11. game — a match
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — to protest
  14. rush — hurry
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — soda
  18. lean — thin
  19. object — an aim
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pop — music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. object — a thing

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