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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. craft — boats
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. land — to come down
  8. rash — a series
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tube — a container
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. land — ground
  14. mine — for digging
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rash — hasty
  17. land — a country
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mug — a face
  20. drill — army training
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pound — a weight
  24. craft — a handicraft

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