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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fine — high quality
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mug — a cup
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. track — a path
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cold — an illness
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chair — a leader
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fine — all right
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mug — a face
  24. present — a gift

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