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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mate — to breed
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mug — a cup
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. file — a tool
  9. wake — a trail
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. sharp — clever
  14. file — a document
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mate — a partner
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mate — a friend
  24. hide — to keep secret

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