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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
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: rush · wave · mug · straw · pitcher · hide · race · content

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rush — hurry
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. content — the amount
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. race — a contest
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. race — the arms race
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mug — a face
  24. content — happy

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