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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: pitcher · rock · saw · deal · safe · hide · bear · cold

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. deal — to handle
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cold — an illness
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rock — music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. deal — a big deal

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