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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 116 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: wave · wound · bark · pitcher · shower · stick · suit · bear

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — an injury
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bark — to shout
  24. wave — with your hand

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