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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wind — moving air
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. kick — in football
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. drill — a practice
  21. branch — a division
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. drill — army training

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