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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
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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: bay · pitcher · pop · present · fall · last · mouse · wound

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. last — finally
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pop — soda
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fall — the season
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pop — music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fall — to drop
  21. present — a gift
  22. last — final
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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