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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: lie · prune · bass · hand · spell · pitcher · mug · bear

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mug — a cup
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. mug — a face
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hand — help
  24. bear — the animal

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