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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mug — a cup
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. object — an aim
  7. race — the arms race
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. race — humankind
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. object — to protest
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. race — a contest
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lean — thin
  22. object — a thing
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mouse — the animal

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