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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — a cup
  7. file — a document
  8. court — of law
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — decided
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. file — a line of people
  13. suit — in cards
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. mug — a face
  17. court — for sport
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. face — to confront
  21. mug — to rob
  22. court — of a king
  23. face — to point toward
  24. file — a tool

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