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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. march — music
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mug — a face
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. march — the month
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bear — the animal
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. race — a contest
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. face — to point toward
  22. march — the month
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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