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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fine — all right
  3. cold — an illness
  4. foot — a measure
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. game — a match
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fine — high quality
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mug — a face
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. foot — the bottom

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