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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. last — finally
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. last — to go on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. last — final
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ground — a position
  21. mug — a face
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. bulb — for light

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