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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bank — for money
  7. object — to protest
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. roll — a list
  14. bank — for money
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mark — a grade
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. chest — a box
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mug — a face
  24. cabinet — ministers

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