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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spell — magic
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — letters
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spell — a short time
  10. squash — to crush
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. drill — army training
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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