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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. game — a match
  6. clip — a video
  7. mug — to rob
  8. face — part of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. game — wild animals
  11. clip — for paper
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mug — a face
  16. face — to confront
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. spring — the season
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spring — of water
  23. clip — to cut
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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