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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fine — all right
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. rule — a law
  6. mug — a face
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. land — to come down
  9. mug — to rob
  10. fine — high quality
  11. kid — child
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. land — a country
  18. rule — government
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. land — ground
  23. wake — a trail
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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