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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. face — to point toward
  3. roll — a list
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mug — to rob
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bear — the animal
  11. band — a ring
  12. spell — magic
  13. cell — a phone
  14. spell — a short time
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. face — to confront
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mug — a cup
  22. spell — letters
  23. band — a music group
  24. bear — to put up with

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