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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mark — a grade
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. field — a subject
  6. rest — a break
  7. toast — bread
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wound — an injury
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wound — an injury
  16. field — for sport
  17. cap — of ice
  18. field — farmland
  19. mark — a trace
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rest — what's left

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