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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mug — a cup
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. scale — in music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rule — government
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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