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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cap — of ice
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mug — a cup
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cold — not warm
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mate — a friend
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mate — a partner
  22. squash — the sport
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. nail — for a hammer

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