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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 can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mug — to rob
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spring — the season
  6. rest — what's left
  7. present — there
  8. rest — a break
  9. mug — a cup
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. last — final
  12. pound — a weight
  13. spring — of water
  14. charge — in control
  15. present — the time now
  16. last — to go on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — a price
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. present — a gift
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spring — a coil
  24. last — finally

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