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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pop — to visit
  4. staff — a stick
  5. band — a music group
  6. staff — employees
  7. object — an aim
  8. tube — the underground
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pop — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. staff — employees
  16. mug — a cup
  17. object — to protest
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. tube — a container
  21. cap — a lid
  22. band — a ring
  23. object — a thing
  24. pop — soda

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