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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. toast — bread
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. land — to come down
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. key — for a lock
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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