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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wind — moving air
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mate — to breed
  11. charge — in control
  12. rest — a break
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — a price
  17. wind — moving air
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mug — a cup
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mate — a friend

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