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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mug — a face
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stock — shares
  10. cell — a phone
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rest — a break
  15. stock — goods
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. tube — a container
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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