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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 120 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. staff — employees
  3. bound — tied together
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mug — a face
  6. bound — obliged
  7. snap — to click
  8. shower — rain
  9. stem — to come from
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. court — for sport
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bound — certain
  14. staff — employees
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. staff — a stick
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stem — of a plant

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