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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. last — to go on
  3. squash — to crush
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. chip — to eat
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — a cup
  9. sharp — clever
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. last — finally
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. chip — for betting
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. foot — a measure
  23. can — to be able to
  24. last — final

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