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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spring — of water
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. track — a song
  6. mug — a face
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mug — to rob
  9. track — a path
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. squash — the sport
  20. spring — the season
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mine — for digging
  23. spring — a coil
  24. track — to keep track

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