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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ball — a dance
  7. last — final
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lie — to recline
  12. last — to go on
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bore — to tire
  15. track — a path
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mug — a cup
  19. track — a song
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ball — a great time
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. track — to keep track
  24. last — finally

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