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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rock — a stone
  7. track — a song
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cold — not warm
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cold — an illness
  16. lean — thin
  17. track — a path
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lean — to bend
  21. track — to keep track
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rock — music

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