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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. row — a line
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — what's left
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. staff — a stick
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mug — a face
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — what's left
  15. file — a tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. staff — employees
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. rest — a break
  24. mug — to rob

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