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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 120 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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mug — a cup
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mug — to rob
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. firm — steady
  9. fall — to drop
  10. firm — decided
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. fall — the season
  14. firm — a company
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bear — the animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fall — to drop

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