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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rock — music
  4. mug — a cup
  5. band — a ring
  6. face — to point toward
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rock — a stone
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mug — to rob

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