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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rule — government
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bass — low music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rule — a law
  24. bass — the fish

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