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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. last — to go on
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. staff — employees
  6. mug — to rob
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kid — child
  11. lie — to recline
  12. kid — to tease
  13. spell — letters
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. spell — magic
  20. date — the fruit
  21. face — to confront
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spell — a short time

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