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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. last — finally
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. hand — in cards
  9. last — to go on
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hand — help
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mug — a face
  15. rash — a series
  16. cue — a hint
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mug — to rob
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bear — the animal
  22. last — final
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mate — a partner

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