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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mine — for digging
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hand — in cards
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. hand — help
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fine — all right
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pop — music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mug — a face
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pop — soda
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fine — a penalty

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