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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. squash — to crush
  5. last — finally
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. content — the amount
  8. fall — the season
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mug — a face
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fall — to drop
  15. last — final
  16. last — to go on
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — the sport
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. content — happy
  24. straw — dry grass

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