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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. deal — to handle
  3. firm — a company
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mug — to rob
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mug — a cup
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. firm — decided
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. firm — steady
  21. wake — a trail
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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