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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. field — farmland
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rest — a break
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. field — for sport
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chest — of your body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mug — to rob
  16. field — a subject
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mug — a face
  23. fine — all right
  24. mouse — 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