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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a music group
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. band — a ring
  8. ground — the earth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ground — crushed
  14. hand — help
  15. mug — a face
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. ground — a position
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mug — to rob
  24. dip — to sink

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