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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. game — wild animals
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. tube — a container
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — to recline
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mug — to rob
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mug — a face
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. racket — for tennis

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