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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 · roll · last · suit · prune · sharp · mine · hide

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. mine — for digging
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. last — to go on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. prune — to trim
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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