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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pit — a hole
  3. race — a contest
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. staff — a stick
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mate — a friend
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. race — humankind
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lie — to recline
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cap — a lid

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