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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mate — a partner
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pass — a permit
  10. last — finally
  11. lie — to recline
  12. last — final
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. roll — a list
  16. last — to go on
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mug — a face
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mate — to breed

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