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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mug — a cup
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mug — a face
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. race — the arms race
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — humankind
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — a contest
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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