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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mug — to rob
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rock — music
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rock — a stone
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chair — a leader
  15. drill — army training
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mug — a face
  24. pound — for dogs

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